CLEVELAND – Cleveland State (4-9, 0-3 Horizon League) fell to Milwaukee (6-6, 2-0 Horizon League), 81-71, on Sunday evening at the Wolstein Center.

Junior guard Chevalier Emery (Appleton, Wisconsin) led the Vikings with 22 points on 6-of-13 shooting. Emery was 3-of-6 from the three-point line and 7-of-10 from the free throw line. Senior guard Tre Beard (Chillicothe, Ohio) added 14 points after three made threes and a perfect 5-of-5 from the free throw line. Sophomore forward Holden Pierre-Louis (Potomac, Maryland) added 12 points on 5-of-6 shooting from the field.

As a team, the Vikings 23-of-55 (41.8%) from the field and 9-of-23 (39.1%) from the three-point line. CSU was 16-of-22 (72.7%) from the free throw line. Milwaukee shot 31-of-71 (43.7%) from the field and 11-of-32 (34.4%) from deep while going 8-of-10 (80.0%) from the free throw line.
Beard led the Vikings with seven rebounds while Pierre-Louis six boards. Senior guard Foster Wonders (Iron Mountain, Michigan) pulled down four rebounds. Milwaukee outrebounded the Vikings, 47-30.

Ten of 23 shots were assisted with Beard leading the way with three.

Cleveland State limited the turnovers to seven while forcing five Panthers turnovers.

The Vikings led for 19:47 of the contest with their largest run, 12, happening at the 9:30 mark of the first half. CSU jumped out to a 27-12 lead at the end of that run before the Panthers ended up tying the game at 29-29 with 2:40 left in the first half. The game went back-and-forth until the half ended 37-35 Vikings. In the second half the game was tied 45-45 before Milwaukee was able to jump out to a 10-point lead at the 6:30 mark. Cleveland State was able to get the lead six at 77-71 with 57 seconds left but lost, 81-71.

Cleveland State returns to action on Monday, December 29 at 7 p.m. against IU Indy at the Wolstein Center. The game can be seen on ESPN+ and heard on Real 106.1 FM.